Christian Horner is reportedly on the verge of being sacked as Red Bull's team principal following this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, according to Austrian media reports.
The 51-year-old has overseen a difficult start to the 2025 Formula One season, with the team securing just one victory in five races.
Red Bull, who have dominated the sport in recent years, are now struggling to keep pace with McLaren, who lead the constructors' championship by a substantial margin.
Reports suggest the decision to remove Horner could come as early as next week, depending on the team's performance at Imola.
Red Bull's Christian Horner has come under immense pressure
PAThe potential dismissal would end Horner's remarkable 20-year reign at the helm of the British-based team.
Red Bull currently sit third in the constructors' standings, a staggering 141 points behind leaders McLaren.
Max Verstappen, who has won the drivers' championship for the past four consecutive years, is now third in the standings with 99 points.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri leads with 131 points, followed by teammate Lando Norris on 115.
Horner's decision-making has come under scrutiny after a series of driver changes backfired spectacularly.
He opted to demote Sergio Perez at the start of the season in favour of Liam Lawson.
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The New Zealander was then dropped after just two races and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, who has similarly struggled to make an impact.
According to Austrian outlet oe24, Red Bull have already identified potential successors to Horner should they decide to part ways with their long-serving team principal.
Former Alpine boss Oliver Oakes is reportedly one of the leading candidates. The 37-year-old recently resigned from his position after just nine months in charge.
Franz Tost is also being considered for the role. The experienced Austrian previously led Red Bull's sister team for 18 years under its various guises as Toro Rosso and later AlphaTauri.
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Oliver Oakes only joined Alpine in July 2024 but is being reportedly eyed by Red Bull
ReutersInterestingly, Tost's departure from the junior team in 2023 reportedly came amid clashes with Horner and disagreements over the structure of Red Bull's development programme.
Horner's potential departure comes after a tumultuous period both on and off the track for the Red Bull chief.
Last year, he faced allegations of "inappropriate and coercive behaviour" from a female employee, which he consistently denied.
An internal investigation ultimately cleared him, but the scandal created divisions within the team.
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Christian Horner has come under fire at Red BullGettyThe Austrian side of the company, led by Mark Mateschitz, reportedly wanted Horner removed, while he maintained support from the Thai ownership.
Tensions have also emerged between Horner and team advisor Helmut Marko, with the pair frequently contradicting each other in public statements.
Max Verstappen's father, Jos, has been openly critical of Horner's leadership, further destabilising the once-dominant team.
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